News item | 13-03-2024 | 12:49
An updated Red List of lichens has been published. This list includes native lichens that are vulnerable or threatened with extinction. Examples of lichens are the lime hair scale, the yellow frosted tree scale and the pale pepper crust. All native lichens have been re-examined and described in the Red List of Lichens.
Lichens
A lichen is a so-called mutualistic symbiosis of a fungus and an algae or with a cyanobacterium, or with both. This collaboration is special because all organisms benefit from it and a new organism is formed: the lichen. Many lichens grow slowly and are often found as pioneers in places where they are not displaced by seed plants. Lichens require few nutrients, which they often obtain from rain or dust in the air. They can also remain in a resting phase for a long time – for example in the case of dehydration – and become active again if they are given fluids. In addition to the fact that lichens form an important link in the ecosystem, they can also be used as a signal for air quality. Many species are sensitive to too much ammonia in the air or other forms of air pollution.
Conservation of wild animals and plants
The Bern Convention on the Conservation of Wild Animals and Plants and their Natural Environment in Europe obliges us to pay special attention to species that occur naturally in our country and that are in danger of extinction or are vulnerable. To achieve this, the Netherlands establishes Red Lists of endangered and vulnerable species. Governments and nature managers can then take this into account in their policies and protection measures.
Updated Red lists of lichens
The Red Lists of flora and fauna contain disappeared, critically endangered, threatened, vulnerable and sensitive plants and animals in the Netherlands, divided into species groups. The lists are updated approximately every ten years. The previous list about lichens dates from 2011. The Dutch lists have 1950 as a benchmark.
Of the 727 species of lichens examined, 389 species are on the Red List. The number of species on the list is almost the same as in 2011, but on the new list many more species have been placed in a more serious category, in other words more seriously threatened. Compared to the previous Red List, 52 species have been removed from the Red List, 27 species have been improved but are still on the Red List, and 66 species have been moved to a more serious category.
The main causes for lichens being put on the Red List are nitrogen deposition, habitat loss and climate change. This underlines the need for measures to restore nature, reduce nitrogen emissions and combat climate change.
Basic report and background information
The updated Red List of lichens can be found at Government Gazette. The species organization Bryological Lichenological Working Group has drawn up the basic report and proposal for the updated Red List on behalf of the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality. The basic report with background information about the method used, data and species can be found on the website the species organization Bryological Lichenological Working Group